PID occurs when a module’s voltage potential and ion mobility degrade
the solar cells and reduce the module’s power output capacity. PID has
been a leading benchmark to evaluate the effectiveness of PV systems
when put under various types of stresses that may affect performance,
including high temperatures, humidity, moisture and high voltage. While
there are reputable testing bodies like the International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and ASTM International, current
testing parameters only address the risk of early field failure rate of
PV modules and there are no strict industry-wide standards that test
performance during a modules’ 25-year lifespan.

“Dow’s unique back-integrated polymer expertise has enabled ENLIGHT™
encapsulant films to have industry-leading volume resistivity, which is
widely attributed to PID resistance,” states Sang-Ho Kang, global
business leader, Dow Photovoltaic. “We determined that utilizing third
parties to apply IEC’s accelerated testing methods at levels that would
simulate 25 years in a sunny and humid environment was the best way to
show the unrivaled performance of our technology. The results were even
better than we had expected— uncovering a new level of risk mitigation
with PID zero.”

As a leader in polyolefin material science for more than 50 years, Dow
has the expertise and scientific knowledge to help propel the PV
industry forward. Fraunhofer
Center for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP) and Photovoltaik
Insitut Berlin (PI-Berlin) were both tasked with validating the
performance of PV modules with ENLIGHT™ PO Encapsulant Films for 500
hours at 85 degrees Celsius, 85 percent relative humidity and -1000
volts. Both firms confirmed that Dow ENLIGHT™ films possess high volume
resistance, has low moisture vapor transmission rate and demonstrates zero
degradation of power from PID-- exceeding the industry accepted
standard of PID free (≤5 percent energy loss).

Dow is the first company to qualify for a PID certificate for
encapsulation materials – PID Block – a
new program by PI Berlin for the confirmation of superior PID
suppressing properties of encapsulation materials. Third-party
validation from Fraunhofer CSP and PI-Berlin concluded that ENLIGHT™ PO
Films offer performance that exceeds PID-free standards and established
a level Dow recognizes as PID zero. That, combined with the recent
device patents for PO encapsulant films in PV modules Dow received
in the US and the EU, provides unique opportunity for modules makers and
other value chain members to create proven, high performance PV systems.
Those two regions in addition to the device patents already issued in
China and Philippines makes Dow one of the industry’s first to receive
global device patents for PO encapsulant films used in PV modules.

Those visiting the SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation
Conference & Exhibition, May 20-22, in Shanghai, can view modules
integrated with PID zero technology at various customer booths. To learn
more about Dow ENLIGHT™ Polyolefin Encapsulant Films and PID zero,
please visit www.PIDzero.com.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to
passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company
is driving innovations that extract value from the intersection of
chemical, physical and biological sciences to help address many of the
world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water,
clean energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural
productivity. Dow's integrated, market-driven, industry-leading
portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and
plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products
and solutions to customers in approximately 180 countries and in high
growth sectors such as packaging, electronics, water, coatings and
agriculture. In 2013, Dow had annual sales of more than $57 billion and
employed approximately 53,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than
6,000 products are manufactured at 201 sites in 36 countries across the
globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical
Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly
noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

®TM Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an
affiliated company of Dow